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Progress on Education Aid? Keep Up the Pressure

Publish Date: August 26, 2010 1:15 pmAuthor: Texas AFT

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News reports tell us that Texas education officials are en route to Washington, D.C., for discussions Friday with the U.S. Department of Education on how to secure $830 million in job-saving education aid for Texas school districts. The money is there for the asking, thanks to legislation passed by Congress early this month. Gov. Rick Perry initially balked at providing the necessary assurances that the federal dollars won’t simply be used as an excuse to reduce the state’s own financial support for public schools. But today’s reports may indicate that he’s feeling the pressure from educators like you to accept the money and use it for its intended purposes–to undo or avoid personnel and program cuts by budget-squeezed school districts. So keep up the pressure! If you have not done so already, go to the Texas AFT Web site, www.texasaft.org, and send the “No Excuses, Governor” letter exhorting Gov. Perry to accept the funds without delay. For extra credit, you can call the governor’s office and leave the same message. Gov. Perry’s toll-free line: 1-800-843-5789.

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Texas AFT represents all non-administrative certified and classified public school employees. We represent the interests of teachers, counselors, librarians, diagnosticians, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, nurses, teaching assistants, clerical employees, and the other men and women who work so hard to make our schools work. We also represent employees in universities, colleges and community and junior colleges.

Texas AFT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and AFL-CIO. Photographs and illustrations, as well as text, cannot be used without permission from the AFT.